Thill-coupling



A IO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG EiNNINsLAND, 0E MAYsVILLE, KENTUCKY.

THlLL-coubLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,814, dated February 14, 1888.

Application filed October 27, 1887. Serial No. 253,5ll. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LUDWIG RINNINsLANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maysville, in the county of Mason, State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Thill-Couplings,of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention comprises a novel combination of mortised and perforated main clips, longi, tudinally and transversely slotted tubular case, spring bolt, perforated secondary clip, and detachable screw cap, wherewith a thill or shaft can be readily coupled to the fore axle of a vehicle, the details of said devices vand the method of operating them being hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

In' the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the under side of my thill-coupling, a portion ofithecase being sectioned, the springbolt being retracted, and the shaft being disconnected from theaxle-clip. Fig. 2 is another sectionized plan,- but showing thespringbolt advanced and engaged wit-h the thil1-iron` head. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the coupling, taken at the line Z Z of Fig. l.

A represents the fore axle of any vehicle, and B is the clip, to which one of the thills is to be coupled, said clip being mortised at C to admit the thill-iron head D, which latter is pierced transversely, as seen at d in Fig. 2.

Furthermore, the clip B has a perforation, b, and another perforation or socket, b', for a purpose that will presently appear. Cast with Y or attached to this clip is a tubular case or barrel, E, having a longitudinal bore, e, one end of which communicates with the perforation b, while its other end is screw-threaded for the engagement of a detachable cap, F.

.1 Adapted to traverse this'caseis a bolt, G, which is brought into action by a coiled spring,

H, that bears against the cap F, and a fixed collar, g, of said bolt, said collar serving also as a secure place for attaching the handle or knob I, wherewit-h the bolt is retracted.

J is a longitudinal slotin the case, which slot terminates at one end with a lateral branch, j.

K is a secondary clip secured to the axle, and perforated at k to admit one end of the tubular case E, the detachable cap F being screwed up snugly against said clip.

The shaft being fastened to the thill-iron head D, and the latter being inserted in the mortise C,'the spring H is allowed to exert its force, thereby causing the bolt lG to traverse the perforations b d and enter the socket b', which act couples said shaft to the fore axle, the bolt now serving as the pivotal pin ofthe coupling. Furthermore, in this advanced position of the spring-bolt, vthe knob I is'moved forward to the end of slot J, and is quite close to the clip B; but when it is desired to uncouple the shaft this knob is forcedback to the opposite end of said slotand is swung around into the lateral slot or branch j, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. By this act the bolt G is so retracted as to permit the ready withdrawal of the thill-iron head D from the mortise` C of lclip B, as represented in Fig. 1.

Consequently the shaft attached tosaid iron v is nowuncoupled from the fore axle A. Fi

nally, any approved form of anti-ramermay be used in connection with my thillcoupling;`` v' I claim as ymy invention-- LUDWIG -RINNINSLAND Witnesses:

I JAMES H. LAYMAN,

SAML. S. CARPENTER.

' 'The combination, in a thillfcoupling, of 

